Automobile directional signal



Jan. 9, 1940. M. CORPORA v AUTOMOBILE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL Filed March 31,1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l WER$NR ah R 1 H Q Q m9 o m 6 NW N m6 w W R W hmkWNIN BN2; \uHrN IAVE'NTOR a I A v-Tb IPA 5y Jan. 9, 1940. M. CORPORA,186,

AUTOMOBILE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL Filed March 31, 1939 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1-VENTOR WJM Patented Jan. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my application bearingSerial No. 169,842, filed Oct. 19, 1937.

The present invention relates particularly to that type of signalingdevices mountable upon a motor vehicle and operated by the driverthereof to indicate a proposed action, that is, whether it is going toslow down or stop, or turn to the left, or turn to the right.

It is one object of the invention to provide a device of the characterindicated that may be operated by a small amount of electrical currentfrom the battery of the vehicle.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of thecharacter indicated that will be small and compact in form, economicalto manufacture, of few parts, simple in construction, strong, durable,positive in operation, and highly efiicient in its practicalapplication.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying my invention, withparts broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a pushbutton control box for thedevice.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatical illustration showing the wiring systemembodied in the device.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the same.

figure 8 is a view on line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a solenoid as used in this device, apart being broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show at I a housinghaving a motor 2 mounted therein, the shaft of the motor operating anexternally positioned pinion as 3. Rising above the center of thehousing is a supporting block 4 in which is journaled a gear 5 as at 5.The gear 5 meshes with the pinion and is rotated thereby in thedirection indicated by the arrow l.

Pivotally connected to gear 5 as at 8 is a rod 9, the other end of therod being pivotally connected to the signal arm II) as at H. The arm H!is mounted on the vehicle I! as at I3, and the connection H is eccentricthereto.

Normally the arm HI hangs in a vertical position as indicated by thedotted line l4, but is moved into the slow, left or right positions bythe forcible rotation of gear 5, the arm then taking the positionsindicated at 14a, 14b,

(Crier-327) or No, and the pivotal mounting ll travels in the are shownin dotted line at I5.

The rotation of gear 5 is controlled by means of pins as I6 and I! onleaves land l9 pivotally mounted on the block 4 as at 28, these pinsbeing urged into sliding engagement with the back of the gear 5 by alight spring 2| passing through the block 4.

Formed upon the back of the gear 5 are two bosses 22 and 23 disposed toengage the pins l6--l1 when the gear is rotated. The boss 22 is normallyin the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, but when the gear 5is rotated to move the arm l into position No the boss 22 engages pin lwhen. the arm reaches that position and prevents its further movement inthat direction. The boss 23 is so positioned relative to boss 22 thatwhen the pin I 6 is withdrawn as hereinafter described the gear ispermitted. to rotate until the boss 23 contacts pin l1, this rotationbeing sufficient to move the arm I ll into the position Mb.

To permit movement of the arm l0 into position I40 both pins l6-ll arewithdrawn, the gear 5 then rotating until the stop 24 on the armcontacts the arm supporting portion of the vehicle l2.

It is obvious that whenever the arm is to be swung into any one of thepositions indicated the motor 2 must be set in motion, and either one orboth of the pins must be withdrawn. The required selection and operationis accomplished by means of electrical circuits as shown in the diagram.

In this diagram the battery is indicated at 25 and grounded at 26. Themotor 2 is connected to the battery at 21, and a wire 28a leadingtherefrom has three terminals as 28, 29 and 30. Pushbutton switches 3|,32, 33 grounded at 34, 35, 36, are disposed to close the circuits whendesired thereby setting the motor in motion and swinging the arm l0upwardly as described.

Mounted on either side of the block 4 is a magnet as at 31 and 38, thesemagnets being disposed adjacent the leaves l8-l9 so that when energizedthey will withdraw the pins l6l I from the path of travel of the bosses22-43 and permit the gear 5 to rotate as described.

The magnet 31 is connected to the battery by wire 39, the other wireleading therefrom at having a terminal 4| in operative relation toswitch 32. The switch is grounded at 42, the two grounds or contactpoints of the switch being separated by insulation at 43.

The magnet 38 is connected to the battery by wire 44, the other wireleading therefrom'at 45 having a terminal 46 in operative relation toswitch 33. The switch is grounded at 41' and the two sides of the switchare separated by insulation at 48.

A wire 49 connects the wire 40 with the terminal 50, the terminal 50cooperating with the switch 33 through the ground 41.

By means of this arrangement, when the switch 3! is closed the motor 2operates to rotate the gear 5 until boss 22 contacts pin l6 and the armIll is swung upwardly to the position I4a. When switch 32 is closed themagnet 31 is energized to withdraw pin Hi from an operative position andat the same time motor 2 operates to-rotate the gear 5 until boss 23contacts pin l'l and the arm Ill is swung upwardly to the position Mb.

When switch 33 is closed bothjmagnetsare energized to withdraw both pinsand at the same time motor 2 operates to rotate the gear 5 until the armis swung upwardly to a point. where the stop 24 contacts the vehicle I2,that is to point or position He.

The switches SI, 32, 33 are so constructed that theyremain closed untilreleased by the opera-, tion of another push-button 5i whereupon thecircuits are broken and the arm if! returns to its original position bygravity.

, To effect the securing and releasing of the switches 3!,32, 33, thefollowing mechanism is provided, it being understood that the saidswitches are normally held in an open position by means of springs as at52, 54 respectively, and that the several switches are mounted in asuitable switch-box 55. i Y

The push-button 5! is urged outwardly by a spring 58 and engages one armof a bell-crank 51 pivoted at 58. The other arm of the bellcrank ispivotally connected to a rod 59 passing along the sides of the threeswitches and seated in a guide Gil. The rod is provided with three spursas at 6!, 62, 63, extending laterallytherefrom adjacent the upper sidesof the three horizontally disposed switches. At 64, 65, 66, are threedetents pivotally mounted on case 55 as at 61, BB, 69, adjacent theirrespective switches and arranged to fall in back of the switch headswhen the switches are pushed inwardly. When any detent is holding aswitch closed it may be released by pressing button M, which actionshoves the detent clear of the switch head.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 6, '7, 8 and 9, thehousing is shown at T0 and the motor at H, the motor shaft 1-2 operatinga pinion 13. The pinion T3 meshes with a segmental gear M journaled onthe housing as at '55 to rotate the same in the direction indicated bythe arrow H5. The signal arm T7 is mounted as an integral part of theshaft and gear 14 to rotate as a unit therewith.

.On the back of gear Hiarestops la-19 disposed to engage the pins 88-8!of solenoids 82-- 83 to position the arm H at Ila or 'i'lo as describedin connection with the positioning of arm to in the first describedembodiment. In the present instance, however, the segmental gear 14 hasa tangentially directed finger 84 mounted on its edge and one end of thetoothed portion of the gear as shown so that when the gear has rotatedfar enough to swing the signal arm into the uppermost position We thefinger 84 will engage the pinion l3 and prevent further rotation of thegear. The pinion 13 has the finger 84 and so limit rotation of the ar,being disposed to lie in the path of travel of the finger 84 for thatpurpose. In this, as in the former case, the dropping of the arm 11 backto its original pendant position will reset the gear 14.

In this embodiment the solenoids 82-83 are operated in the same manneras indicated by the first described embodiment, being connected in thecircuits including the wires 3940 and 4 ld'. The stop engaging pins8fl8l in the solenoids are urged outwardly in stop engaging position bylight springs as 85 in solenoid 82, the pins being withdrawn against theoutward urgeof'the'springs by the selective energization of thesolenoids in the manner hereinbefore described.

This last described embodiment provides a more compact device, and onethat is simpler in form'and construction, and more economical tomanufacture and maintainthan the first described embodiment. 7

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated and described,

it will. be understood that various alterations in trically connectingthe gear and arm to swing I the arm upon rotation of the gear, anelectric mot or ..mounted in the supporting means, a moxtOloperatedpiniondrivingly connected to the gear, spaced stop meansdisposed on the face of the gear directed toward the supporting meansand on opposite sides of its axis of rotation, a pair of detentsresiliently mounted on the supporting means on opposite sides of theaxis of rotation of the gear to normally lie in the path of travel ofthe stops, electro-magnets mounted on the supporting means in operativerelationship .to said detents to withdraw the same from the path oftravel of the stop means when energized, means for simultaneouslyenergizing either one magnet or both magnets, and the motor, orthe motorindependently of the magnets, and stop means inserted between the armand vehicle body to limit movement of the arm when the motor and bothmagnets are energized.

.2. In combination with a vehicle body, a signal arm pivotally mountedon the body for movement in a .vertical plane, a housing having abearing block thereon, a gear journaled in the blockto rotate inparallel relation to one face thereof, an electric motor disposed in thehousing, a motor operated pinion drivingly connected to the gear, spacedstops disposed on the face of the gear adjacent the block and onopposite sides of its axis of rotation, a link eccentrically connectingthe gear and signal arm to swing,

the arm on rotation of the gear, electro-magnets mounted on oppositesides of the block adjacent the gear, detents resiliently mounted on theblock between the magnets and the gear and normally disposed to lie inthe path of travel of the stops-but withdrawable therefrom by themagnets'when energized, means for energizing the motor independently ofthe magnets to move one gear stop into engagement with one detent, meansforenergizing the motor and one magnet to withdraw the last named detentfrom the path of travel of the stops and move the other gear step intoengagement with the other detent, means for energizing the motor andboth magnets to withdraw both detents from the path of travel of thestops and rotate the gear, means operative to simultaneously deenergizethe motor and magnets, and stop means inserted between the arm andvehicle body to limit movement of the arm when the motor and bothmagnets are energized.

3. A device of the character indicated comprising, an electric motor,supporting means, a gear rotatably mounted on the support, a motoroperated pinion drivingly connected to the gear, signal meansoperatively associated with the gear to be actuated by rotation thereof,and means for controlling rotation of the gear comprising, spaced stopmeans disposed on the gear on opposite sides of its axis of rotation, apair of resiliently supported detents operatively mounted to normallylie in the path of travel of the stops and disposed to cooperate withthe stops to effect certain signals, electro-rnagnets operativcl rmounted relative to said detents to withdraw the same fro a the path oftravel of the stops when energized, means for energizing the motorindependently of the magnets to move one gear step into engagement withone detent, means for energizing the motor and one magnet to withdrawthe last named detent from the path of travel of the stops and move theother gear stop into engagement with the other detent, means forenergizing the motor and both magnets to Withdraw both detents from thepath of travel of the stops and rotate the gear, means operative tosimultaneously deenergize the motor and mag nets, and means operative tolimit rotation of the gear when the motor and both magnets areenergized.

4. A device of the character indicated comprising, an electric motor,supporting means, a gear rotatablymounted on the support, a motoroperated pinion drivingly connected to the gear, signal meansoperatively associated with the gear to be actuated by rotation thereof,and gear control means comprising, spaced stop means disposed on thegear on opposite sides of its axis of rotation and a third stop meansdisposed on the gear, a pair of resiliently supported detentsoperatively mounted to normally lie in the path of travel of the firstmentioned stops and disposed to cooperate with the stops to effectcertain signals, electro-nagnets mounted on the supporting means inoperative relationship to said detents to withdraw the same from thepath of travel of the said first-mentioned stop means when energized,means for simultaneously energizing either one magnet or both magnets,and the motor, or the motor independently of the magnets, the third stopmeans being disposed to engage the motor operated pinion to limitrotation of the gear when the motor and both magnets are energized.

MICHAEL CORPORA.

